An Apocalyptic Love
by M155 C0nfu510n
Summary: Everything changed a year ago for Ichigo. The loss of his last precious person led him to find a family that loved him and care for him with all their hearts, but the sudden finding of an injured green haired woman could change all that. Is Grimmjow really gone? Rated T for language and all that jazz.
1. Chapter 1

I've found the cure to growing older~ it's writing fanfics apparently~ :/ who whoulda thought~ well here's the zombie thing I was talking about, and that lovely song "if it means a lot to you" by a day to remember~ I hope you like it~ :3

* * *

Ichigo grunted as he yanked his sword from a walker's head, the (un)dead woman falling to the ground with a sickening _splat_. The orange haired man ignored the disgusting sounds and turned to sever the head of the walker that was approaching him from behind. The head slowly slid from the bleeding shoulders, Ichigo flicking his blade with a scowl on his face. Ichigo turned when he flicked the last of the blood off, choosing to clean it fully when they returned to camp later, walking in the direction of the rest of his group.

The orange haired man walked into a bloody clearing, walkers' bodies strewn across the russet ground while his friends stood panting in the middle of the chaos. Tired but unharmed, which was all he could ask for. A small smile pulled at his lips as he stepped towards them, moving cautiously around the questionably dead bodies. The first to spot him was Rukia- a petite woman with shoulder-length, black hair tied back by a black bandana, she wore a sleeveless shirt with wrappings covering her arms; her legs were covered by baggy cargo pants while her feet were decked in black combat boots- the woman smiling before rushing over to envelop him in a tight hug.

"Ichi!" The woman pulled away to smile up at him, the others walking over with equally sized smiles on their features- save for Byakuya, he didn't show much emotion. "I knew you would be okay!"

A snort from Renji- a tall redhead with tribal-like tattoos running the length of his upper body, he was dressed in full camo, except for his combat boots which were a dull black- pulled Ichigo's attention to the smirking redhead.

"She sure wasn't actin' like that a second ago. You know how worried she gets."

Ichigo only smiled at the blushing woman, hugging her lightly before stepping away. Hazel eyes scanned the familiar faces of his family for a year. A year. It felt so much longer. It felt like only yesterday he was challenging his boyfriend to a walker killing contest, the brute always won. Shaking those thoughts away, Ichigo allowed his eyes to rove critically over the bodies of his companions.

Rukia and Renji had been the first he found about 10 months ago, the pair travelling together when they happened upon him. Both were well off, but agreed that it would be in everyone's favor to stay together- strength in numbers. It also helped that Ichigo had medical knowledge, and supplies, the guns and ammo helped too. They ended up finding Chad- a tall man of few words. He spoke more with gestures and body language, but when he did speak it was almost law to listen.- about a month later. Uryuu and Orihime came a couple months later, the two were literally with their backs against the wall- more like boulder- when the group showed up and decimated the walkers. Byakuya had actually joined them about two months ago, the man stumbling upon them one night, nearly losing his head when he stepped into their camp one night. It was nice watching Rukia cry and nearly strangle the stoic man that night, her blubberings carried on to the morning until she finally sucame to exhaustion, the woman falling asleep in Byakuya's lap.

Ichigo felt his own heart constrict at the memory, easily squashing the unnecessary feelings as the group continued moving. They walked for about a mile, it was hard to tell with the unchanging scenery of the forest, but finally they came upon their makeshift camp.

Feeling smarter than the usual survivors, the group had taken the time and effort to build a literal 'tree-house'. It was almost comical when the idea was proposed- Renji speaking out loud on a night when the group allowed themselves to enjoy a simple luxury of canned fruit, the food happened upon when they raided a lone house earlier in the day- the redhead brushing off the crazy idea only for the group to agree wholeheartedly. The following day a search for a proper tree was started. The day after that, proper _trees_. The week after that the trees were found and the idea began to take root in the form of poorly drawn blueprints. It was a miracle they were able to even build the treehouse, even more so when their lack of architectural knowledge came into play- Chad the only person with a smidge of architectural understanding. But the day they finished and took a step back to admire their work, splinters under nails and skin, sweat coating hair to sticky forehead, they couldn't feel more accomplished.

Hidden amongst four different trees was their new home. Large enough for everyone to have their own separate sleeping quarters- though they all preferred sleeping in the same room for safety reasons, Ichigo the only one who distanced himself to his own room when night fell- and room to spare, it was perfect. That night everyone slept easy, no one standing watch because of the security provided by their home in the trees.

But back on track. Rukia climbed the makeshift ladder- really just hollowed out knots in a tree- once she reached the top she threw down a thick rope. The knots were made specifically for the short woman, it being difficult for anyone but her to climb with the small footholds. Each took turns climbing the rope, Ichigo following up the back because he worked better in short range fighting than long range like his companions.

The forest had darkened considerably as the group lit a fire in the pit of their main room, the light illuminating their tired features. Ichigo was the first to break away from the group, complaining about the long day as he went to rest in his own room.

Walking across a wooden bridge, Ichigo walked into his room, shutting the splintered wooden door behind him. It wasn't large, but enough for living comfortably all things considered. The man moved towards his worn sleeping bag and pillows- the group having pilfered any soft things they could find after the tree house was built- flopping face down on the soft material and allowing his mind to drift off.

Dreams of a promise and blue eyes lulling him into a restless sleep.

* * *

Grimmjow growled as he trudged through the forest. The darkness was unnerving and that fact that he was alone only made it worse. He cursed his 'friends' for leaving him to find firewood at a time like this. What dumbass went out to find firewood at night by themselves during a zombie apocalypse? Him apparently.

The blue haired man grumbled under his breath as he came into a clearing, eyes scanning his surroundings before widening at the many bodies that littered the ground. Grimmjow's brows furrowed as he cautiously moved further into the clearing, eyes flicking back and forth, hand poised above the hilt of his katana.

His nose crinkled at the smell of decayed flesh and death, Grimmjow pushing the rising bile down as he examined the bodies and clear spot in the middle. Obviously they had been taken down by an armed group, and judging by the smell it was pretty fresh. Grimmjow took a large whiff before grimacing at the smell again- about two to three hours if he guessed correctly.

Blue eyes scanned the bodies until they came upon a strange sight, a headless body. Now it was common for people to carry any weapon they could get their hands on, knives included (but usually only for stabbing), with that in mind, he guessed someone else had a sword of some sort. Turning curious eyes in the general area of the forest near the decapitated walker, Grimmjow stood to enter the unknown territory.

He didn't have to walk far before he came upon another group of dead walkers, their bodies either punctured through the skull or headless. It was a gruesome sight but the smell was the only thing that irritated Grimmjow- damn sensitive nose. Moving closer to the bodies, Grimmjow crouched down to examine the cut marks, mentally nodding when he noticed the precision of each puncture and slice.

Whoever do this knew what they were doing and obviously had quite a bit of knowledge of walker killing. The blue haired man couldn't keep the sad smile off his face as he thought of his own little walker killer, the smile suddenly disappearing as his hand clenched almost painfully on the hilt of his katana.

Standing stiffly, Grimmjow turned and left the area, searching for wood elsewhere. He didn't have time to get lost down memory lane.

Besides, Ichigo was gone, he'd been gone for a year now and was never coming back.

* * *

Ichigo shot upright in his sleeping bag, breathing erratic and hair sticking to his sweat slicked forehead. The orange haired man curled up, legs crossing and elbows resting on his knees, his hands covering his face.

He'd had the same dream he's been having for the past year. It was frightening and depressing, how he had lost his last precious person in the span of five minutes. Grimmjow had been like an anchor when he lost Goatface, Karin, and Yuzu, but for him to just _disappear_ during that walker raid was… unreal. It hurt. It _still _hurt.

Ichigo took a shaky breath before pushing his bangs away from his eyes. Pushing away his frantic thoughts, the orange haired man stood from his 'bed' and slipped his boots on. Walking towards the main room, Ichigo was met with the sight of Byakuya roasting something over the roaring fire, the warmth causing a smile to pull at Ichigo's lips.

"Morning." Ichigo yawned as he went to unwind the rope from its hook.

"Good morning. The rabbit should be done soon." Byakuya didn't turn as he twisted the small animal, Ichigo catching sight of a few more off to the side, already cooked.

Ichigo nodded to show he heard and went to throw the rope down, climbing down and walking a ways off to relieve himself. The one and only problem they had found with their amazing tree house: its lack of facilities.

Ichigo whistled a familiar song as he stepped over the roots and branches of the forest, feeling a bit melancholic as he reached the chorus. Stopping at a random tree, Ichigo did his business, head turning right and left and ears straining for any sign of walkers. When he was done, the orange haired man stepped away from the tree and turned to make his way back to the treehouse. He stopped, however, when he heard a cry. Snapping his head in the direction of the sound- female- Ichigo halted and waited for another sound. The wind blew slowly bringing with it the groans of walkers and another cry from the woman.

Ichigo wasted nary a second as he reached down and pulled the hidden daggers from his boots, racing into the foliage with an unnatural grace. It only took him a few moments to reach a small clearing with a ring of dead and undead walkers surrounding a woman. Her hair was green and there was a bleeding cut across the bridge of her nose, Ichigo winced at the scar that would leave. The orange haired man didn't take the time to take in any other noticeable features, instead jumping at the nearest walker and jamming a dagger into its temple.

The walkers all turned their attention to the new arrival, dead eyes gaining a hint of intrigue as they shuffled towards their new meal. Ichigo allowed a smirk to pull at his lips as he entered his early morning exercises. The orange haired man sliced through the walkers with practiced movements, his daggers glinting dangerously in sunlight that streamed through the canopy of leaves overhead. It took only a few minutes for him to decimate the rest of the walkers, Ichigo flicking the blood from his blades before bending to wipe them against a clean patch of grass.

Hazel eyes glanced at the wide-eyed woman that watched him with wonder, the bleeding cut taking away from the innocent picture. Replacing his now clean daggers in his boots, Ichigo smiled kindly at the woman standing to take a few hesitant steps towards her.

"Hi there. My name is Ichigo. Are you alright?" Ichigo stopped a few feet from the green haired woman, crouching down until he was at her level, off-handedly noticing the startling gray of her eyes. Hazel eyes trailed critically over the woman's curled form taking note of the few scratches and bruises that littered her arms and cheeks, he barely restrained himself from reaching out when he caught sight of her ankle, the skin turning a deep purplish-blue. "I can help you, I'm a doctor."

The woman's eyes widened at the words, her mouth gaping as she stared in amazement at the orange haired man. Ichigo, tiring of her zoned out state, snapped his fingers in her face, smile losing some of its size as her eyes refocused.

"I'm going to take you back to my camp, I have supplies there that can take care of your nose and ankle. From the looks of it, I'd say it's badly sprained. Do I have your permission to carry you back to my camp and fix your injuries?"

The woman only nodded slowly, eyes drooping as the blood loss finally took effect. Ichigo took note of this and cursed as he realized his bandages weren't on him. Stepping closer to the woman, Ichigo put an arm under her bent knees and behind her back, easily lifting her as he stood to his full height. Turning cautious eyes to the forest around him, Ichigo started walking back towards the treehouse, stepping slowly around the bleeding bodies that littered the forest floor.

It took longer to reach the treehouse on account of the extra body, but Ichigo still made it within 15 minutes. The orange haired man turned conflicted eyes to the sleeping woman in his arms and then to the rope that swung lazily about a foot in front of him. Sighing heavily, the oranget turned irritated eyes to the opening in the floor above him.

"Yo Byakuya! Renji! Uryuu! Somebody help me!" It only took a few moments for three heads to pop up around the edges of the square hole, Ichigo raising a brow at Renji's untied hair, Uryuu's lack of glasses, and Chad's usual blank expression. Ichigo's eye twitched as he watched their eyes widen at the woman in his arms, Chad having already stood and grabbed a section of rope, Ichigo shifting the woman higher before leaning against his right leg. "You idiots gonna help or what?"

That seemed to snap Renji and Uryuu out of their stupors, the two men standing to also grab a part of the rope. Ichigo sighed before lifting the woman higher into his arms, grabbing the rope with his right hand as she leaned more into his chest. The three men started pulling the rope to lift their friend and the strange woman, it taking about a minute for the orange haired man to reach the floor and let go of the rope.

Ichigo sent a gracious smile to his friends before moving to a pile of unused pillows and blankets near the fire, no doubt where the men had previously been sleeping if the warmth of the materials were anything to go by. Bending down slowly, Ichigo set the woman on the makeshift bed, reaching for a few pillows and setting them atop each other before putting her injured ankle on the pile. Throwing an extra blanket over the woman, Ichigo finally stood to his full height, nodding at the peacefully sleeping woman before turning to address the confused men surrounding him.

"I found her this morning surrounded by walkers, and _no_ she doesn't have any bite marks." Ichigo rubbed a hand down his face as Renji's mouth snapped shut. Sighing heavily the orange haired man took a mental stock of his medical supplies, mentally noting they would need to go find some more herbs to take some of the woman's swelling down. "As you can see the blood is from her nose and if possible, I'm gonna need one of you to get some water from the stream later. We need to keep her ankle elevated and I only have a few instant ice packs so cold water is a necessity."

Turning away from the silent men, Ichigo walked towards his room, pushing the door away before moving towards a cluttered corner of the room. Rummaging through the many medical supplies and first aid kits, Ichigo smiled when he found an unused ice pack, carefully setting it in an empty kit before rummaging for ace bandages. It took him a minute, but Ichigo finally found bandages and hooks to hold them, also coming across a few packs of pain pills. Proud of his finds, Ichigo turned to walk back towards the main room, eyes widening at the awake woman that currently had a gun pointed at Renji's head.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey calm down, they're friends!"

Startled gray eyes turned to Ichigo with relief, the woman cautiously lowering her gun as she kept a wary eye on Renji. Ichigo sighed before slowly moving towards the woman, sitting next to her before opening his makeshift kit. Pulling out the ice pack first, Ichigo squeezed it until he heard the pop, moving to put it on her swollen ankle. He watched as the woman flinched at the chill, and pain, reaching into the kit before pulling the bandages out next. Unravelling the beige material, Ichigo took an end and held it to the ice pack before slowly wrapping it with the other hand. Ichigo ignored the eyes that watched him in confusion, instead securing the bandage with a couple hooks and moving to pull the disinfectant and gauze from the kit.

"Are you feeling any pain right now? I have some pills that can help if your ankle is bothering you too much."

Ichigo watched the woman's brows furrow at his offer, a small smile pulling at his lips as her head tilted slightly. Taking her silence as a no, Ichigo uncapped the disinfectant and poured it onto the gauze. Moving the soaked material slowly towards her face, Ichigo went about wiping the blood from her skin. The woman let out a quiet squeak when the material came into contact with her skin, moving away before Ichigo's hand on her cheek stopped her. Ichigo sighed at the pain in those eyes, slowly moving the gauze to the middle of the cut.

"I know it hurts, but please bear with me for a second. I just have a little bit left."

Ichigo turned his attention back to the cut as the woman shut her eyes in resignation, moving the gauze to the final edge of the cut before pulling away. He smiled at the clear tanned skin that stretched across the woman's face, gray eyes slipping open to catch sight of a smiling oranget.

"See? All better, now I'm gonna put a bandage on it, okay?"

Ichigo's smile widened at the woman's small smile, undoing the strip of bandages before placing it on the long cut. Lightly pressing on the material, Ichigo pulled away to see his handiwork.

The woman raised a curious hand to her face to trace along the bandage, tears gathering in her eyes at the care that was shown to her. Ichigo was unprepared for the armful of woman he received a moment later, arms wrapping around the woman as she cried into his shoulder.

"Thank you."

Ichigo smiled at the thanks, patting the woman's back as she gripped him tighter.

"No problem."

* * *

"NEL! WHERE TH' 'ELL ARE YA!?"

Grimmjow groaned for the umpteenth time that day at Nnoitra's yell. Seriously, weren't they trying to avoid walkers? Yeah, they're looking for Nel but they could do that _quietly_. His companions seemed to have the same thoughts, each showing various stages of irritation. Harribel's nails were constantly tapping on the hilt of her serrated daggers, Starrk's lazy eyes were unnaturally sharp- even his wolf of a dog was growling lowly-, and Ulquiorra's finger kept twitching on the triggers of his pistols. This jackass was going to get them killed.

"NEL! SAY SOme...thing… "

Nnoitra froze in front of the group, gun dangling from lax fingers as he stared into the clearing before them. Grimmjow raised a brow at the strange behavior, cautiously stepping towards the volatile giant and setting a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"Nnoi, ya okay, man?"

He didn't answer. Grimmjow's brows furrowed as he turned his attention to the clearing, eyes widening at the many walkers that littered the grass. Grimmjow felt a sense of deja vu at the scene, very much like the one from last night. Turning curious eyes to the silent raven next to him, he shook his shoulder slightly.

"Nnoitra?"

Instead of answering, the lumbering man slumped through the clearing before stopping at a clear patch of grass. Grimmjow watched as he bent down, shaking fingers reaching out to pick something up off the ground. The group was silent as Nnoitra stood, body shaking slightly as he clenched something in his fingers. After a moment, he turned, one eye glowing in rage.

They all gasped at the object clenched in his fingers. Nel's beanie. Splatter's of blood staining the cartoonish skull, shit.

Nnoitra stalked back towards the group, breathing ragged as he shoved the beanie into Lilynette's muzzle. The pure white husky growled at the treatment, readying to bite at the offending object before Starrk placed a comforting hand on her head. Starrk smiled at his dog, scratching her lovingly behind the ear before giving a single command.

"Find her."

Lilynette wasted no time in sniffing the whole of the beanie, stepping around Nnoitra before raising her muzzle in the air and sniffing in different directions. The group watched with bated breaths as Lilynette stopped and turned towards them, motioning in front of her before trotting into the foliage. The group smiled before following the dog, Nnoitra leading with a determined expression on his face.

It took about 20 minutes for the group to find where the scent lead to, each looking around in confusion as Lilynette sniffed around a tree. Nnoitra growled while turning his head to and fro, finally turning a heated eye to Starrk, stalking up to the man before grabbing him around the collar.

"Wha's the big deal, Starrk! I though' yer dog was better' than tha'."

Harribel quickly gripped Starrk's arm to stop him from lashing out at the distraught man, the brunet sighing as he turned confused eyes to his distracted husky.

"I do not know. Lilynette hasn't been wrong in her searches before."

Nnoitra growled again before pushing the man away, moving to lean against a nearby tree as he slid to the ground. Leaning his head against the bark, Nnoitra closed his eye, a heavy sigh passing through his lips. The group watched the poor man with pity, each knowing how far his care for the green haired woman went- even when he himself didn't. After a moment Nnoitra opened his eye, prepared to be blinded by the afternoon sun but surprised to see a wooden _something_.

Scrambling to his feet, Nnoitra rubbed at his eye to make sure what he was seeing was real. After making sure the giant structure wasn't just a figment of his imagination, Nnoitra grinned, piano teeth glowing in the bit of light that made it to the forest floor.

"Yer dog's not so useless after all." The group stared at the man like he had just grown wings. Was he unaware of the fact that they were in a random section of forest with absolutely _nothing_ around them? Maybe he hit his head on the way there.

Nnoitra ignored their looks and instead pointed up, the group slowly turned their attention to the canopy of trees above only to see smooth wood stretched across the surrounding trees. Even Ulquiorra showed his surprise, finger's loosening their agitated grip around his gun as he observed the strange structure.

"HEY! ANYBODY UP THERE!?"

The group jumped at the sudden shout, turning confused eyes to a grinning Nnoitra before there attention was drawn to a slight scraping above their heads. Looking up they caught sight of a surprised redhead, mouth agape as he observed their group. Nnoitra grinned as he waved happily.

"Hey there! We're lookin' fer a friend a ours, ya seen her?"

The redhead blinked before his eyes widened. Glancing over his shoulder, the redhead talked to someone behind him, the group barely catching the familiar excited voice of Nel before he turned his attention back to them with a smile.

"Hold on, I'll send the rope down!"

They each took a step back as a rope was thrown down, Nnoitra hurriedly grabbing the twisted material and scaling the tree. It took a while for everyone to get up the rope, each staring at the interior of the treehouse in wonder when they were finally inside. It was as they were observing their surroundings that they caught sight of Nnoitra laying with his head in Nel's lap, his arms wrapped loosely around her middle as she ran her fingers through his hair. Starrk was the last to make it up the rope, Lilynette held in his right arm as he, too observed the treehouse.

"Um, welcome to our humble abode. The names Renji." The group turned their attention to the redhead that had tossed the rope down earlier, the man rubbing the back of his hand as he motioned to the many pillows that littered the floor. "Um you can sit anywhere you want. Sorry we don't exactly have furniture, it was kinda a miracle we were able to make this."

"Thank you for helping our friend." Harribel was the one to speak, a small smile on her lips as she moved to sit on a nearby pillow. Starrk moved to sit beside her, Lilynette sitting next to her owner who was already drifting off to sleep. Ulquiorra moved to sit on Harribel's other side, the raven placing his gun before him on the floor. Grimmjow remained standing for a few moments, eyes still roving over the work of the treehouse before he moved to a window near the back of the room. Renji raised a brow at the choice of seating before shrugging as he moved back to his own spot beside the fire. The group descended into an awkward silence before Renji broke it.

"So, where did you guys come from?" Five pairs of eyes, plus one, turned to the redhead in question. Renji blushed under their gazes before turning his attention to the fire. "I mean, ya know, before all this started. I was just a regular guy. Lived on my own, didn't really have any family, my job was pretty pointless… I… I guess I really had nothing to lose."

The redhead smiled sadly at the surrounding people, fingers unconsciously pulling at a piece of loose string on his pants. Harribel was the first to answer, a small smile touching her lips.

"I lived with my younger sisters in an apartment near our college. I was studying to be a marine biologist. I didn't have class the day everything started, but they did. I was able to get out of the city before it got too bad. I wandered alone for about a year before I met Starrk and Lilynette, things steadily got better from there."

Starrk had reached out and grabbed Harribel's hand when she started talking, squeezing reassuringly as she finished. Renji smiled at the small exchange, flicking his eyes to the injured woman and tall man that had fallen asleep on the makeshift bed. Turning his attention back to the two that seemed more open than their companions, Renji tilted his head at the now named Starrk.

"So what's your st-"

"RENJI TOSS DOWN THE ROPE!"

The redhead groaned before flopping back onto the floor. He stayed that way for a moment before rolling over and pushing himself up and walking towards the door in the floor. Lifting the wood, Renji tossed the length of rope down, ignoring the squawking from the small raven as it almost hit her. Moving back towards his original spot, Renji plopped down and kept his eyes trained on the doorway.

It didn't take long for Rukia to come over the edge, a stick of fish held between her teeth. Glaring at the smiling redhead, Rukia moved to stand, reaching down to pull a flustered Orihime. The brunet had leaves and sticks strewn through her long hair, Orihime thanking the small raven as she moved to pull her muddy boots off. Chad came through the hole next, the man standing stoically as he scanned the new faces that littered their home before nodding in greeting. Finally Uryuu pulled himself through the door, pushing his glasses up his nose as he set a bucket of water on the floor.

The new arrivals scanned the people that were in their home before turning their attention to the silent redhead. Renji rubbed the back of his head before motioning towards the sitting people.

"These are Nel's friends, they came looking for her."

Rukia nodded as she moved to clean the fish near a window, Uryuu moving to place the bucket beside Nel's elevated ankle, the other's moved to sit in random areas of the room. The only sound in the room was the scraping of Rukia's knife against the fish. Finally getting tired of the silence, Rukia spoke up.

"So what's your guys' names?"

Everyone's ear seemed to prick up at that, the new group sharing looks before Ulquiorra of all people spoke.

"I am Ulquiorra, this is Starrk, Lilynette, and Harribel. The man asleep on Nel is Nnoitra and the man by the window is Grimmjow."

Rukia stopped scraping the fish at the last name, violet eyes moving towards the figure that was also watching her near the window. Startlingly blue eyes halted all previous thoughts, whatever they might have been, the raven quickly turning away to escape the trance those eyes initiated.

Renji coughed to bring attention away from the exchange, smiling when all eyes returned to him- and also more confident with his own friends so close.

"You guys already know me, but the girl cleaning fish is Rukia. The guy with glasses is Uryuu, the quiet dude is Sado, and the girl is Orihime. I think Byakuya's taking a nap and Ichi's working on some medical thing or another in his room."

Renji jerked his head towards an open doorway that lead to a wooden bridge near the back of the room, Grimmjow's ears perking up at the familiar name.

"Ichi?"

Renji turned his attention to the questioning blunet, nodding happily as he recalled the medical expertise of their neighborhood oranget.

"Yeah, apparently he was almost done with med-school when shit hit the fan. He's been an amazing friend this past year. He's really the one that got us all together, it probably woulda still been me and Rukia had he not stumbled, quite literally, into our lives a year ago."

Renji's tone became a bit melancholic as he thought of their journey as a group. Just the three of them and then Ichigo managed to convince Chad and Uryuu and Orihime to join them, though the last two didn't need much convincing considering their lack of supplies and survival instincts. Byakuya didn't take any convincing, but Ichigo did manage to make him warm up to them all.

Grimmjow felt his heart clench painfully at every little bit of information. This was hitting a little too close to home for the blunet, Grimmjow standing and moving towards the exit.

"Where are you going Grimmjow?" Tossing the rope down, he turned to give Starrk a reassuring smile.

"I just need some air, I'll be ba-"

The sound of approaching footsteps and creaking wood drew everyone's attention to the doorway in the back of the room, a smiling orange haired man speed walking into the room with a bowl clenched in his hands.

"I finally got that..stuff...done…."

Ichigo's hands dropped to his side, swinging uselessly. The bowl clenched in his fingers easily slipped through the lax grip and fell to the floor, its green contents staining the wood. Ichigo's heart hammered in his chest as his eyes roamed over the familiar figure that stood about ten feet away. A choked gasp fell from his lips as the man turned to fully face him, Ichigo catching sight of a familiar scar along the man's right jaw. All was silent in the room as the others watched the strange exchange, the silence finally broken by Grimmjow's breathy whisper.

"Ichigo…"

The orange haired man dipped his head to hide his eyes, slowly walking towards the blunet. Grimmjow watched his thought dead boyfriend approach him slowly, Ichigo stopping about a foot away before he reeled back his fist and punched the dumbstruck man in the jaw. Grimmjow easily went down from the strong hit, the blue haired man watching as Ichigo began shaking from the floor. It took him a moment to realize Ichigo was crying.

Ichigo felt so many emotions run through his body as he saw those eyes- the ones he hadn't seen for a _year_\- fill with worry and love. It was infuriating. He had been gone for a year, a _fucking year_, and then just shows up out of the blue. With a roar Ichigo jumped on top of the blue haired man and started delivering ground-shaking punches.

And through it all, Grimmjow didn't move.

He didn't fight, he didn't block, just sat there and took it.

Which made Ichigo furious.

"You mother_fucker_! How could you just _do _this to me! I fucking _hate you_!"

Ichigo knew he was crying, could feel the tears streaming down his cheeks as he kept delivering the blows that were slowly losing power. Finally he just stopped, limbs shaking with the sobs that wracked his body. Ichigo gripped his hair with both hands as he leaned down until his forehead was against the familiar plain of Grimmjow's chest.

"I thought you were dead."

The whisper might as well have been shouted, the words striking a chord in everyone's heart at the defeated tone. Grimmjow finally moved at the admission, arms slowly moving to envelop the smaller man in a comforting hug. Placing a large hand on the back of Ichigo's head, Grimmjow guided his face towards his own, mentally promising himself that he would never again make Ichigo feel this type of anguish, this pain- it was inhumane. The blue haired man touched his forehead to Ichigo's own, closing his eyes as he smiled at the warmth of the other, the familiar warmth that came with just being close to the other.

"I missed you so much" Blue eyes opened to connect with Ichigo's tear-filled hazel, Grimmjow smiling as he gently brushed his lips against the other's. Ichigo quickly pushed into the familiar warmth of Grimmjow, fingers releasing their hold of his orange hair in exchange for gripping Grimmjow's blue locks. Pulling futilely at Grimmjow's hair, Ichigo tried to get closer to the man, almost whining in the bruising kiss when neither moved an inch. They pulled away a few moments later, a smile on both their lips from the simple kiss.

"I love you."

Ichigo felt a fresh batch of tears fill his eyes as he gripped both sides of Grimmjow's face and pulled him into another kiss, this time the orange haired man added tongue to the mix.

While all this was going on, the others were watching with varying stages of amazement. First Ichigo's group was in shock that their mild mannered friend would randomly attack a stranger- who they now know isn't really a stranger. Second, Grimmjow's group was about ready to fight the newly introduced man until they saw Grimmjow's reaction and chose to watch how things played out. Third, both groups learned something about their friends as they watched the oranget take his anger out on the blunet. And lastly, everyone just felt pity for the two. It was obvious how much they cared for each other by the way they acted after the initial lashing out, the care that was taken with the emotional smaller male, the kisses they shared. Everyone couldn't help but smile at the two.

After a moment, Grimmjow pulled away with an unknown glint in his eye, Ichigo blushing at the well-known look before cautiously moving to crawl off the blue haired man. He wasn't quick enough however as Grimmjow grabbed his wrist, halting any further movement. Standing to his full height, Grimmjow pulled the oranget closer and threw him over his shoulder, moving towards where Ichigo had entered the room only moments prior. Ichigo blushed as he squirmed in his boyfriend's hold, fearful eyes turning to the surrounding individuals.

"Guys! Help me!"

"Go Ichi!" Rukia and Orihime cheered as the oranget's expression changed to horror, his arms falling limp as they disappeared from view.

The room erupted into laughter when they heard the door to Ichigo's room close, unaware of the two waking individuals until Nnoitra spoke up.

"The hell you guys laughin' at?"

That caused another bout of laughter.

* * *

Ichigo cursed as more walkers surrounded him, his sword slicing cleanly through one that had gotten too close to his right. Sweat stuck to his brow as he sliced another's head off before jamming his sword through another's temple. He panted as he leaned against the tree behind him, mentally cursing his boyfriend for wandering too far. Ichigo only had to wait a moment before the dumbass showed up, gun firing with deadly accuracy into the brains of all surrounding walkers.

Ichigo turned an unamused look to the nervously smiling blunet, a gun in one hand and Ichigo's herbs in the other.

"I'm sorry?" Ichigo sighed as he moved closer to Grimmjow, reaching up to peck him on the cheek as he took the herbs from his hand.

"You bet your ass you are. So what's for dinner?" Grimmjow smirked as he followed his retreating boyfriend, falling into step with the oranget as they headed back to the treehouse.

"I think Rukia said rabbit again. Either that or fish." Grimmjow shrugged as he thought about it, food was food and as long as it was meat, he was happy.

Ichigo sighed before smiling lightly.

It had been about a month since their little reunion, it seemed much longer. The groups had merged into one, big, messed-up family, the treehouse growing with the new occupants. They had even added a lift for Lilynette. With the added members and large home, the apocalypse seemed less hopeless, especially for Ichigo and Grimmjow.

The two never strayed far from each other, everyone else finding it cute how Grimmjow would never leave Ichigo's side even when he was doing some boring doctory stuff. All in all, it was nice. The future was a positive promise.

* * *

Aww~ I hope you liked this sucky ending~ ;u; just look at how sappy and stupid it is~ and look at how long this thing is~ T^T i am never writing a thing this long again, and if i try to start, stop me… -.- i mean it~

Also if ya wanna see more stuff, drop a review or even like, but ya know reviews are kinda awesome... seriously let me know how i'm doing... i need the support/ constructive criticism~ o- o


	2. Prologue

Okay here's a second part that was completely unplanned and unwanted- by me… Seriously I want to write other chizz too… sadly I can't multitask like other authors here~ ;-; it's fine, I got this… So enjoy peeps! You know I own nothing except this little thing thing as it is written so, ya know, enjoy… this is redundant… -.-

* * *

Silence reigned in the neighborhood, the wind blowing a stray piece of paper left carelessly in the street. Suddenly a pair of hurried footsteps broke the tension, a blur of black darting across the overgrown lawns of the neighboring houses before ducking into the bushes of a seemingly random home. A man stuck his head from the bush, brown eyes hard as they flicked across the supposedly deserted area.

A groan suddenly permeated the air, the man cursing as he ducked further into the cover of the bush. He watched as the culprit of the sound moved around the corner of the house, his breath leaving his lungs in a relieved sigh at the unfamiliar face.

'_But really_', he thought, '_everyone's face was unrecognizable_.'

It was true. The disease that had spread from some lab in the north- situated only a few miles from a nuclear plant (one that had a bad history of 'accidents')- had quickly taken over most of the world, only a few lucky people surviving the fatal illness.

Ichigo hadn't run across another survivor.

Which was the main reason he was so nervous, firing one of his few bullets into the head of the walker a few feet from his hiding place- no doubt it had smelled him anyway.

He rushed from the bush as the man fell, sprinting to the yard next door and sliding to a halt before the door, twisting the knob and feeling a weight settle in his stomach as it opened easily. All previous urgency dissipated as Ichigo pushed the door open, staring nervously into the dark home. He felt his mind screaming at him to turn around and run, though he had nowhere to go, noone to turn to.

Ichigo swallowed the sudden lump that had lodged itself in his throat, cautiously stepping into his former home and closing the door.

The pitch black that suddenly surrounded him was almost comforting. Darkness provided protection, a place to hide, but it also did the same for the walkers, as a hiding place that is.

Ichigo refrained from calling out, unsure if he would hear the response he wanted, instead peeking into the familiar living room before moving on. So far everything was how he remembered it, the house unnaturally immaculate considering the chaos taking place outside. Ichigo jumped as his foot connected with something, eyes wide as they zeroed in on a small plush lion.

The 24-year-old gave a strained smile as he bent down and picked up the plushie, squeezing its' stomach to hear the familiar squeak. The sound seemed to reverberate through the unnaturally silent home, Ichigo shivering as he set the lion on a nearby table. The man nearly jumped when he heard a slight scratching sound, head whipping towards the staircase. He remained still for a few moments before he heard it again, feet taking the familiar course up the stairs and to the bathroom.

The scratching was louder, Ichigo afraid to open the door. He had yet to see any of his family members, the fear of seeing them as mindless walkers behind the door steadily growing. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves, a shaking hand reaching out to grab the knob and give a slow, steady turn. He was unprepared for the cat that slinked through the small opening and around his legs, purring as he stared into the empty bathroom in confusion.

The hell?

"What are you doing here little guy?" Ichigo's eyes suddenly connected with the tabby's green ones, understanding passing through his brown orbs at the innocent animal wrapped at his ankles. "Yuzu. Dumb question."

Ichigo's head whipped around as he heard a near-silent creak from the door behind him, eyes narrowing as he moved to stand before the cracked opening. He slowly pushed the door open, eyes squinting at the unnatural darkness of his father's room.

Ichigo heard the wind whistle through the covered window, the curtains drawn over the opened glass. He cocked his gun when he heard the creak again, a slow steady rhythm that moved with every push from the breeze. Ichigo cautiously moved towards the window, fingers wrapping around the invisible curtains as he moved them aside.

He was thankful for the midday sun, allowing his skin to soak in the welcoming light before he allowed his eyes to run over the room. And promptly widen at the three figures laying motionless on the bed.

Tears sprung to his eyes of their own accord, his hand closing over his mouth to stop the sob that threatened to escape.

Yuzu, Karin, Isshin. His sisters. His father. His _family_. All three wrapped in an eternal embrace, a silver pistol held in Isshin's right hand.

Ichigo didn't have to move closer to know what had happened, the circles of red that surrounded each of their heads enough for him.

He felt his knees grow weak, arms shaking and gun slipping through pliant fingers. He ignored the loud clatter from the weapon, leaning against the window as the tears finally broke loose, sobs tearing through his chest as he slid to the floor. Frustrated fingers dug into his scalp, Ichigo ignoring the searing pain that came with the action as his mind focused on the loss of his last true family members.

And then he screamed.

* * *

Ichigo lay, unblinking, on his old bed, eyes unseeing as he stared at the wall across from him.

He had passed out some time after finding his family, waking up to a darkened room and sore limbs. He would never understand why emotional trauma took a greater toll on the body than physical. He made the decision to bury them the following day, choosing to sleep in his bed- something he hadn't done in about a year, the simple luxury something he couldn't focus on.

Ichigo curled tighter around the plush lion- '_Kon'_, he reminded himself- the animal squeaking slightly before remaining silent. It had been years since Ichigo had taken comfort from the plush animal, a gift from his late mother, if he remembered correctly the last time had been when he was 15. Yeah, old for a kid to rely on a plush doll, but something about the lion always calmed his rampant thoughts.

Ichigo didn't know when he fell asleep, only knew he hated the early morning sun, regardless of the apocalypse that required early mornings and late nights. The oranget blinked in confusion as he pulled himself from his bed, Kon falling to the floor with a small squeak.

Ichigo slowly stood, pulling on his muddied boots while securing his backpack before checking his gun for any problems. He nodded after finding everything in order, walking the short distance from his room to his fathers, three covered bundles greeting him.

He had wrapped each person in a single, white sheet, unable to look at the peaceful smiles on their faces without feeling another impending breakdown. Carefully he moved to pick up Yuzu, she had been the closest one on the edge, holding the surprisingly small body bridal style as he moved towards the backyard.

He was thankful his eccentric father had built a fence when he was 12, it kept unwanted guests from disturbing him as he transported his family into their resting places.

It took Ichigo most of the day, the oranget sweating profusely as he sat Indian styled before the three graves. He felt his eyes sting with unshed tears, wiping his forearm across his forehead as he rested his chin on his raised palm.

He sat there till the sun disappeared behind the horizon, only returning inside when the threatening rumble of thunder echoed in the distance. Ichigo made it inside just before the rain hit, worrying for the bodies of his family members as he moved back towards his room.

Ichigo didn't know how long he lay there before he heard the front door burst open, the resounding bang waking him from a fitful sleep. Brown eyes were wide as the door was slammed shut, heavy footsteps clunking around downstairs. Ichigo wasted nary a second in jumping to his feet, foregoing his boots while snatching his gun from his bedside table.

The oranget crept from his room and along the wall, carefully easing down the stairs while he listened to the unknown intruder stumble around in the living room. Ichigo checked to make sure his gun was cocked, eyes hardening as he shuffled to the wall outside the living room, breathing low and ragged.

He heard something crash to the floor, glass scraping the floor, peeking around the corner to see a tall silhouette illuminated by a flash of lightning. Ichigo's breath hitched as the figure stood to their full height, turning to face him when another flash of lightning illuminated a bloodied face.

Ichigo fired without thinking, a loud curse following the resounding _pop_ while the silhouette grabbed at their face. Ichigo blinked at the familiar voice, squinting as he lowered his gun and focused on the suddenly recognizable figure cursing from beside the couch.

"Grimmjow?"

"Ichigo?! Mother_fuck_! That shit hurt! Why the fuck'd you shoot me?!" Grimmjow hissed as he glared at the oranget, his blue eyes glowing brightly in the darkness of the room. Ichigo immediately dropped his gun and rushed towards his cursing friend, taking his face in his hands as he examined the bleeding line along his jaw.

"What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were still at that school a few towns over." Ichigo lightly ran a thumb over the bloody skin, wincing as Grimmjow hissed and made to pull away. "Shit, I'm sorry. I've been shooting first asking questions later, lately."

Ichigo ushered the injured man to his couch, fixing him there with a pointed glare while moving to the adjacent clinic for medical supplies. He returned a few minutes later, Grimmjow now chewing absentmindedly on a piece of beef jerky, the origins of which Ichigo knew not.

"I thought I told you to stay put." Ichigo's tone lacked bite as he made to clean the blood away from Grimmjow's wound, the bluenet hissing as the antiseptic made contact with the frayed skin.

"You act like I don't have my own food, berry. All those medical smarts get rid of yer common sense?" Ichigo pushed rather harshly against Grimmjow's injury for that last comment, the blunet squeaking in surprise while glaring at Ichigo.

"You're pretty stupid to insult the one taking care of this bullet wound, hmm? Maybe I should let it get infected and leave you to deal with it?" Grimmjow growled but remained silent, Ichigo chuckling as he continued cleaning the wound. "I'm seriously sorry about shooting you. No hard feelings?"

Grimmjow snorted but nodded as best as he could, smirking as blue eyes connected with focused brown. "So how's life in the apocalypse been treatin' ya? Well, yer still alive so that's somethin'. Or are ya just too stubborn ta die?"

It was Ichigo's turn to snort, smiling despite himself at the casual conversation. It had definitely been too long since he had seen the blue haired man.

"It's been good I guess. Took about a week to get here even though the college is just across town…." Ichigo pulled away from the bandaged jaw as he fixed the blue haired man with a confused look. "How did you get here so soon?"

Grimmjow chuckled at the other's expression before reclining against the couch, Ichigo leaning back as well, arms crossed loosely. "Ya 'member that pretty little piece I was tellin' ya about a month ago?" Ichigo shuffled into a better position, ignoring the fact that Grimmjow's arm was acting as a warm cushion, as he thought back. He nodded after a few moments. "Well I finally got the thing workin', was about to get a fuckin' hundred for that shit if everything didn't fall out. But yeah I used what bit of gas I had to come here."

Ichigo chuckled as Grimmjow pouted like a child, then blushed when he realized Grimmjow came to him before anyone else- granted, the blunet didn't have a family to return to and was too intimidating (*cough* asshole-y *cough*) for most people to deal with. Ichigo pushed the fuzzy feeling away as he focused on the change in his friend.

Grimmjow had grown a bit more, maybe around 6'2 if he guessed right, had gained more muscle to accommodate the new height too. Most likely from working with cars all day long, cause seriously those arms were _ripped_. Ichigo shook his head and refocused, eyes trailing over the slightly longer hair to the always familiar glowing eyes.

Ichigo smiled. "It's good to know you haven't changed much."

Ichigo saw Grimmjow quirk a brow at his words, watched as the man's eyes darted around the dark living room before landing on his again. Ichigo was surprised to see understanding flash in those blue eyes, even more so when he was pulled into a muscular chest.

"When?"

"I don't know…"

"Where?"

"Out back…"

"It's okay."

Ichigo just wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's chest, the rain drowning out his soft sobs.

* * *

"How in the hell did you get all this!?"

Ichigo was gaping at the trunk of Grimmjow's restored Mustang, the thing practically overflowing with food, clothes, and weapons of all shapes and sizes- mostly guns, though. Ichigo focused on the man next to him, Grimmjow only shrugging as he pulled his duffle bags from his shoulder and began to refill them.

"Ya know how it goes. People leave stuff, I break in, I take everything. It's not stealing if no one's there to stop you." Grimmjow sent the frozen man a grin, quickly returning to his task of refilling his bags.

"If I wasn't so sick of looking for supplies, I would be mad at you." Ichigo shook his head as he went through his own backpack, taking out useless tools and materials to replace them with newer, better ones. It took the pair about ten minutes to fill their bags to the brim, Grimmjow sighing as he shut the trunk.

"I'm seriously gonna miss this thing…." Blue eyes turned to Ichigo with determination, holding out his spare key with his left hand. "In case anything happens."

Ichigo's eyes were wide as he stared at the small piece of metal, fear coursing through his veins as he saw a sad resignation pass through those blue orbs. Ichigo's hand moved before he could stop it, Grimmjow cursing as pain blossomed in the back of his head.

"Promise me that nothing is going to happen. And if- this is a strong fucking _if_!- anything happens, we come back here and wait for a month." Ichigo's eyes were hard, daring Grimmjow to defy him in any way, shape, or form. The blunet felt his gut twist at the promise, knowing he couldn't predict the future and that anything could happen.

"I promise."

"Then I guess we're ready to go."

Ichigo started walking down the road towards the left, Grimmjow following closely behind, the sun a welcome presence in the middle of the sky.

* * *

"How many you got!" Grimmjow smirked as he thrust his right arm behind him, listening to the muffled moaning of the walker before pulling the trigger and blowing the back of it's head off.

"13! You?" Grimmjow cursed as he dropped his arms, flicking the blood from his guns as he pouted petulantly. He turned to see Ichigo flicking the last of the blood from his katana- a family heirloom of the Kurosaki family, and the only thing of his past he kept besides a picture of his whole family- and resheathing it.

"12…" Grimmjow growled as Ichigo gave a cheerful cry, the oranget dancing around him while throwing random leaves in his face.

"Good luck finding dinner, babe! I'm feeling quite starved from that workout." Ichigo stopped in front of Grimmjow, a cheeky grin on his face while he twirled a jagged dagger in his right hand.

A lot had truly changed in the few months they had been together, really about half a year, but time is so easily forgotten when running around in the woods all day.

Grimmjow decided he'd had enough of Ichigo's attitude, wrapping the oranget in his arms and leaning close enough for his breath to fan over his lips.

"Hmm, why don't we just skip to dessert. I know some little zombies can't be enough to tire you out?" Grimmjow chuckled as Ichigo sputtered in his hold, pushing him away while giving a weak excuse of relieving himself. Relieve himself indeed, Grimmjow wasn't ignorant to the effect he had on the slightly smaller male.

Grimmjow chose to start hunting while the sun was still high, no use wasting what little light they had really. He left the bloodied clearing to search any nearby traps for possible catches, smirking when he found a couple rabbits and a squirrel. He tossed the animals over his shoulder while moving quickly and quietly through the forest, ears trained for the slightest sound. He was surprised when he instead stumbled into a bush bearing strawberries, lots of them.

Well that was a surprising treat.

Grimmjow turned and stalked back down the familiar path, coming across an unusually silent Ichigo a few feet from the carnage of the clearing. His eyes were unfocused until Grimmjow stepped on a random twig, the noise causing Ichigo to act upon instincts gained from the apocalypse- a dagger quickly yanked from the confines of his boot and thrown at the general area of the sound.

Grimmjow smirked as he leaned a couple inches to the left, the dagger embedding itself inches into the trunk of the tree behind him. Ichigo blushed at being caught off guard, regardless of the fact that he could act on the drop of a dime.

"Food fer yer thoughts?" Grimmjow reached back to yank Ichigo's dagger from the tree, flipping it in his hands as he sauntered towards the silent man. He plopped down beside the oranget, holding the knife out handle-side first. "What's got you so distracted?"

Ichigo frowned as he took the dagger and resheathed it in his boot, crossing his arms as he leaned against the tree behind him. Grimmjow frowned at the silent treatment but brushed it off as he crossed his own arms and leaned against the tree, eyes conveying his peaked curiosity.

"Why do you joke like that?" Grimmjow blinked at the question, tilting his head as his lips pulled further down on the corners. Ichigo sighed at the expression before raking his fingers through his hair until his fringe moved to cover his eyes. "Like you like me you dumbass."

Grimmjow quirked a brow while staring at Ichigo with a confident smirk. He was so cute when he was insecure. All flustered and shit. "Who said I was joking? I'm personally insulted you'd think so lowly of me."

Ichigo flushed and quickly turned to hide the expression, Grimmjow chuckling as he caught sight of red tinted ears. Grimmjow reigned in his amusement as he scooted closer to the embarrassed man, leaning close enough to envelop him in his arms and lean his chin on his shoulder. Grimmjow purposely breathed against the ear so close to his lips, grazing them over the flushed skin as he breathed in Ichigo's scent- a mix between cinnamon, earth, and antiseptic. Tantalizing and addicting and completely Ichigo.

"So wanna tell me why yer actin' all shy and shit or do I gotta use _force_." Grimmjow followed his statement with a nip to Ichigo's ear, the oranget whining pitifully as he tried to pull away from the arms wrapped securely around his waist. Grimmjow chuckled and enjoyed the way Ichigo squirmed in his hold, the man finally settling after a moment and facing the shoulder opposite Grimmjow. The blunet quirked a brow, mouth opening to complain about being ignored only for it to snap shut as Ichigo spoke.

"Stop playing with me Grimmjow. I don't wanna deal with your bullshitting right now." Grimmjow blinked at the hostility in Ichigo's tone, leaning closer to catch a glimpse of straight lips and hard eyes, the oranget snapping his head further to the left to hide his expression. "Let go."

Grimmjow wasn't one to pry when Ichigo was obviously in a bad mood, but it was plain to see that _he_ was the cause of Ichigo's distress. Call him a genius if you will, but the oranget's avoidance of the subject was curious enough. Ichigo hated beating around the bush, choosing to instead face any and all problems head on- the reason he had chosen to use his family katana as his main weapon instead of his pistol (that and he didn't enjoy the echo of the gun or scrounging for ammo).

With that in mind, Grimmjow grabbed the man's chin with his right hand, pulling his face around only for his eyes to widen slightly.

Ichigo's eyes were like diamond, hard and unbreakable. His lips were set in a thin line that betrayed none of his emotions. The only outward sign of annoyance he showed was the slight furrow of his brow, Grimmjow only catching the action from years of reading the oranget's unvarying facial expressions. "Are you done?"

The cold tone seemed to snap Grimmjow from his thoughts, the blunet glaring at the man in his arms. "The hell's wrong with you? You really think I would joke about likin' ya?"

Grimmjow felt his ire rise as Ichigo averted his eyes, lips pulling down further as he squirmed in his arms again. With a growl and slight addition of pressure to Ichigo's jaw, Grimmjow brought the oranget's attention back to him, eyes glowing in rising anger as he bit out his next few words.

"Stop actin' all insecure and shit and tell me why ya'd think I'd joke about this? When in all the time ya've known me have I _ever_ played with yers or anyone's feelings, huh?" Grimmjow felt his anger slowly die down as the fight drained in Ichigo's eyes, the oranget slumping in his hold while his bottom lip quivered. Grimmjow fully enveloped the slightly smaller male in his arms while leaning back against the tree, chin resting on Ichigo's head. "Wanna tell me what's buggin' ya now?"

Grimmjow felt the slight rush of air against his chest as Ichigo sighed, refraining from shivering at the sudden warmth. "I don't want to lose you." Grimmjow gently pulled Ichigo away so he could look the smaller man in the eyes, Ichigo's head raising slowly so warm hazel could connect with confused blue. "You attract trouble like a magnet and….I don't want to be left alone in the aftermath…"

Grimmjow frowned at the admission before raising a hand to cup Ichigo's cheek, slowly leaning forward until his lips ran across frozen ones, pulling away a second later with a small smirk on his lips. "I already promised ya nothin' would happen, plus I'm not goin' anywhere if I can help it. You'd die without me to protect yer sorry ass."

Grimmjow laughed as Ichigo punched him in the chest, the oranget shooting obscenities at the distracted man until a pair of lips silenced his continued rant.

Yeah, Grimmjow wasn't leaving if he had any say in the matter.

* * *

"Is there really no other way to get around?" Ichigo bit his lip as he turned to his boyfriend, his right pointer finger running over the worn handle of his dagger, calming him slightly.

"It's the fastest way to get to the storage without fighting our way through…" Ichigo sighed as Grimmjow fixed him a determined gaze, nodding slowly as he peeked through the window of their shelter.

They had reached a town a few weeks back, scrounging the surprisingly large city before settling in a mostly uninhabited apartment complex. By mostly uninhabited, he meant that they had to take care of about eight or nine walkers before deeming the place empty. They were lucky to find most of the apartments holding nonperishables, feasting on canned fruit, dried meat, and water- the best food they'd had in a while.

Ichigo refocused on the hoards of walkers that slouched through the streets below, eyes immediately zeroing in on a shop a few blocks down with busted windows and blood staining the remaining glass and pavement in front of the open door.

A weapons shop. One that had been left relatively stocked, somehow.

A moment of silence passed between the two before Ichigo felt hands around his waist, a muscled chest forming to the contours of his back. He sighed and rested his dagger against the windowsill, leaning against the comforting warmth as he closed his eyes.

"We've been planning this for a week. Everything will be fine." Ichigo turned in Grimmjow's hold to wrap his arms around the blunet's shoulders, eyes smouldering as they connected with nervous blue. No matter how much they talked about the plan, the nagging fear of _something_ going wrong was always on the forefront of their minds, Ichigo biting his lips as he leaned his forehead against Grimmjow's shoulder.

"Promise me nothing will go wrong." Ichigo felt Grimmjow tense, his arms tightening while his head fell to the crook of his neck. Ichigo shivered as air rushed over his collarbone, eyes slipping closed as his arms pulled Grimmjow closer. "Promise me."

Ichigo didn't expect an answer. Was unsurprised when Grimmjow began trailing kisses from his neck to his jaw, swooping past his cheek to press lightly against his lips. He responded immediately, lips parting as a desperate tongue plunged into well-known depths, a low moan rumbling in his throat as he was pushed against the wall.

Neither noticed their quickly changing positions, sliding from the wall to the bed a couple feet away, hands ripping desperately at clothing and mouths biting possessively at exposed skin. Tension swirled through the air as both men lost themselves within the throes of passion, arms tangling, lips melding, bodies connecting. Skin slicked with sweat slid and rubbed in sensual patterns, fingers pulling at hair and running lovingly over flushed flesh. Through it all, Grimmjow and Ichigo retained eye contact, brown and blue shining in the dying light of day and glowing in the ethereal glimmer of night.

As the two lay in the aftermath of their activities, arms and legs tangled in the thin sheet, neither could bring themselves to close their eyes, fear of the outcome of their raid weighing heavily on their minds.

* * *

Ichigo panted heavily as he sprinted from the cover of a burning hardware store, cursing the clunking bag filled with supplies as he tripped under its weight.

Phase one of their plan had been a success so far, luring the walkers away from that area of the town by strategically igniting fires in heavily populated areas and running to the next point. Ichigo allowed a small smile to pull at his lips as he slid into an empty alleyway, a clear view of the weapons shop to his far right. He allowed himself a few more seconds to catch his breath before rushing from the safety of the alley and towards the shop.

Ichigo heard the distant groans of approaching walkers and cursed as he sped up, foregoing the broken door and vaulting through the cracked window, rolling into a crouch as he leaned against the wall beside the destroyed glass.

Ichigo only had to wait a moment before he heard a distant explosion, the walkers slouching in the direction of the noise and disappearing around a corner. Ichigo sighed in relief as he slumped to the floor, eyes flicking over the dark shelves as he listened for any lingering walkers. He was surprised and thankful to only be met with silence, slowly standing to his feet and adjusting his hold on Zangetsu, the blade reflecting the midmorning sun as Ichigo stalked carefully along the walls.

The oranget gave an appraising eye to the weapons that glinted along the shelves and in cases along the wall, whoever owned this store must've made a killing. Ichigo chuckled at the irony of the joke, despite the darkness of the humor.

He was surprised to feel a hand on his shoulder, whirling around with his blade poised to decapitate the poor fool stupid enough to startle him when he was halted by a hand grabbing his wrist. Brown eyes met blue and Ichigo couldn't hold back his glare, Grimmjow only smirking at his anger.

"The fuck you asshole!" Ichigo practically hissed at his boyfriend, resheathing Zangetsu as he punched the larger man in the bicep. Grimmjow winced at the hit but continued to smirk, sauntering past the angry oranget as he picked a rifle up from it's display case.

"Excuse me for joining you princess, but I don't think ya can fit much more in that bag 'a yers." Ichigo blushed as Grimmjow nodded towards the distended bag on his shoulder, the bag that held his medical supplies, emergency rations, change of clothes, and pistol- not his fault he and the blue haired brute had different versions of necessities.

"Shut up and grab what you need." Ichigo crossed his arms as he moved towards the front of the shop, seating himself on the worn counter as he pulled out his dagger and proceeded to clean his nails. He never realized nails could get so much gunk under them in a few short hours.

It didn't take long for Ichigo to hear the scuttling footsteps of Grimmjow as he ran around the store, the man no doubt intrigued with every shiny weapon that lined the shelves. Ichigo shook his head but smiled.

It didn't take much to grab the blunet's attention- a brightly colored bird, a particularly dark leaf during summer, a weird insect- so Ichigo was happy to let the man run his energy out in the store, instead listening for any approaching walkers.

Ichigo was content as he carved random patterns into the counter, the silence of the shop never occurring to him until a pile of weapons was dumped beside him. Brown eyes stared at the pile in question before turning to the grinning man before him who was staring at them with reverence.

"Got enough?" Grimmjow only grinned wider as he pulled a couple large boxes of ammo from the pile and handed them to Ichigo. The oranget stared at the boxes in question, but took them with no complaint- he knew that there would be times where exhaustion would force him to use his gun, regardless of his dislike of the weapon. "Thanks."

"Ready to go?" Ichigo nodded as he pocketed the ammo, hopping from the counter and watching as Grimmjow placed several guns on different parts of his body. The oranget was surprised to see a katana strapped to the larger man's back, quirking a brow at the weapon until he remembered Grimmjow's proficiency with a blade, a secret that only he and a select few were able to witness.

Ichigo shook the thoughts away as he followed the larger man, Grimmjow slinking through the broken door and to the right. They had found another apartment building near the edge of town. Easy to get to, easy to escape from- cleaned out a couple days prior with a few well placed bullets and swings of a sword.

Ichigo hiked his bag higher on his shoulder as he followed the hulking form of Grimmjow, mindful of the slight clanking emanating from several portions of his body. The oranget was a few dull clanks away from snapping at the man before both froze at a sudden groan behind them, both whipping around with guns at the ready. Ichigo's eyes narrowed at the lone walker, clicking his tongue as he quickly approached the walker and dealt it a katana through the head- no point in dragging extra attention to them with a gunshot.

Ichigo turned and prepared to walk back towards the smirking blunet, a frown on his face as a distant sound reached his ears. Apparently Grimmjow heard too, the bulging man's grin dwindling to a small frown as he reached for the gun hooked on his hip.

Brown eyes hardened as they traced over their surroundings, ears trained on the quietly approaching mumble of haggard footsteps, the slow shuffle of forgotten garbage. Ichigo was unprepared for the sudden barrage of bullets that went buzzing past his head, eyes wide as he ducked and rolled to his left. Grimmjow yelled something at his back, the words jumbling together as he shot to his feet and threw a dagger at a walker approaching from his right.

The oranget didn't hesitate to yank his gun from his thigh and fire into the approaching crowd of walkers, though he did take a moment to wonder why they had returned so quickly.

"Ichi!" Ichigo's eyes regained focus as he whipped around and shot a walker point-blank, the greyish matter that must have been a brain at one point coating the faces of the ones behind it. Ichigo mentally cursed as he shot a path to Grimmjow, the blunet taking control the moment Ichigo grabbed his arm, both charging through a thin path in the surrounding walkers while firing at the ones that got too close.

Ichigo's mind was a whirl of confusion as they broke through the last of the walkers, their feet leading them in the direction of their temporary safe house. It didn't take long for the groans of the mindless bodies to disappear and be replaced by heavy boots on concrete.

"Grimmjow." Ichigo's brows furrowed as the man remained silent, continuing to run even as they disappeared around a corner, the walkers far behind. "Grimmjow it's fine we can stop." The blunet didn't answer, Ichigo's nerves wearing thin as the safe house came into view.

Ichigo was relieved when Grimmjow released his hold on his wrist, something he had done the minute the walkers began closing in, rubbing at the slightly reddened flesh as he glared at the silent man. Grimmjow pushed away the board that acted as a door while Ichigo followed him into the relatively dark entrance way.

"Ya gonna tell me what's got you all quiet now?" Ichigo made his way to a dusty armchair and plopped down, waving the dust particles away while coughing a bit. Grimmjow remained by the entrance, replacing the wood and pushing a large bookshelf in front of it. Ichigo started tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair, lips set in a thin line as he observed the strange reactions. "Grimm, what's up?"

Ichigo wasn't prepared for the glowing eyes that greeted him when Grimmjow turned around, didn't move as the blunet approached him with long strides, couldn't look away as vibrant, blue eyes bore into him with an unnatural intensity. So it's no surprise he jumped when Grimmjow fell to his knees and pulled him into his arms, Ichigo's breath practically knocked from his lungs as Grimmjow's head pressed against his chest. The oranget sat confused for a moment, brows furrowed as he looked at the man wrapped around his midsection, raising his arms to wrap lightly around Grimmjow's back.

"Grimm?" Ichigo felt the body in his arms shudder, Grimmjow's head pushing further into his chest. Ichigo frowned as he raised a hand to run through Grimmjow's hair, his expression softening as Grimmjow's hold relaxed slightly.

"I thought I might lose you…" Ichigo blinked at the mumbled words, sighing as he leaned his cheek on Grimmjow's head, fingers still running through his hair.

"Says the idiot who won't promise he'll be okay." Ichigo pulled away when he felt Grimmjow lift his head, playful brown connecting with clouded blue. Ichigo smiled as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Grimmjow's forehead, sliding lower to kiss his nose and finally his lips, pulling away a moment later. "I thought you hated hypocrites?"

"Shut up, Ichi." The oranget smiled at the nickname, leaning his forehead against Grimmjow's as they both enjoyed the silence. "If I can, I promise I'm not goin' anywhere."

Ichigo's smile grew.

* * *

Amazing how quickly plans can go awry.

This and a few choice words were the thoughts of one Grimmjow Jaegerjaques as he sprinted through the streets of this godforsaken town in search of his wayward boyfriend.

"Ichigo, you dumbass!"

Everything was fine after their little heart to heart in the entrance way earlier until Ichigo noticed the absence of his recently collected katana. And Ichigo- being the caring and idiotic man he is- took it upon himself to retrieve said blade after he was sure Grimmjow was asleep. So here he was, racing through the streets in search of his orange haired boyfriend before he got himself into trouble.

Grimmjow was almost thankful for the distant sounds of a struggle, _almost _being the keyword. He rounded another corner, guns already cocked and loaded in his hands, and didn't hesitate to fire into the eye of a walker a couple feet to his right.

The sound drew the attention of the walkers near the back of the scuffle, the mindless bodies shuffling away from their previous target for the seemingly less guarded one. Grimmjow smirked as he started firing with gusto, sprinting through the clearing path until he was standing next to a sheepish looking Ichigo. Well, as sheepish as one could look while stabbing a katana through a walker's head with sweat pouring down their face.

"Take a piss my ass." Ichigo chuckled nervously as he shot the head of an approaching walker, arm falling limply to his side while the other adjusted the katana held in a relaxed grip.

"Surprise?" Grimmjow would've rolled his eyes had he not felt a prickle in the back of his neck, turning quickly and firing at the approaching walkers. Grimmjow growled as he saw the veritable wall of walkers approach, head whipping from side to side to find some form of escape. The obvious choice was an alleyway blocked by about two dozen walkers, or maybe that building blocked by about three dozen, or even that horde of approaching flesh-eating monsters numbering somewhere in the five (six?) dozens.

Decisions, decisions…

"When I start shooting, run." Grimmjow didn't wait to see if Ichigo agreed or not, only looking for the weakest section of the surrounding walkers before firing. He decided on the alleyway, the thin walls obviously providing protection and coverage. Grimmjow was surprised to see Ichigo sprint through the pathway he created, smirking as he moved to follow.

The smirk turned into a grimace as his guns ran out of ammo, the blunet pulling the guns from his jacket and firing into the growing crowd at an admittedly slower rate. He heard Ichigo call his name from somewhere down the alley, pushing away the clench in his chest at the desperation in his tone as he fired at a couple walkers to his right.

Feeling the prickling in his neck again, Grimmjow whipped around and started firing at the walkers behind him, ones that were _way_ too close for comfort. Sweat began beading on his forehead as he shifted on his feet, jumping as his foot connected with something metallic- if the slight reverberations on the concrete were anything to go by.

Blue eyes widened at the katana Ichigo had been fighting with, the one he had left to retrieve some thirty minutes prior. Grimmjow smirked as he fired the last of his bullets- in the two guns he was using then at least- into the surrounding walkers while bending down and gripping the familiar blade, unsheathing it in one, smooth motion. Looking at the surrounding walkers, Grimmjow calculated how long it would take to return to his worried Strawberry, smirking enough for a canine to glint in the moonlight.

"Thirty minutes _tops_."

* * *

I'm gonna cut it here and add another chapter later about Grimmjow's year of 'solitude'~ :3 I don't exactly have anything planned for that yet so it's gonna be a long time coming just like this thing was! Actually this was never supposed to be more than just a chapter, but I felt the need to continue for some reason~ -3- you guys are infecting me. Stop it… But yeah, hope ya like, rate/review whatev you feel and peace out peeps~ ;)


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